Maine
by DrKCooper
Summary: A story based on the latest Rizzoli & Isles book "Last To Die" by Tess Gerritsen. Takes scenes from the book and aspects of Jane and Maura's friendship from the television series.


_Disclaimer: All recognizable _Rizzoli & Isles_ characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners including, but not limited to Tess Gerritsen. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this fan fiction story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No financial gain is associated with the publishing of this story. No copyright infringement is intended._

_Author's Note: I've never written a story based on the R & I book series before. There are things about the book series I like—Maura's relationship with Julian, for instance—but there are things about the book series that I cannot stand—Jane's marriage to Agent Dean prime among them. So this piece is a combination of both the book _Last to Die_ and the television series. In this piece, Jane is not married to Agent Dean, doesn't have a daughter and her relationship with Maura is much more like that of the television series. Dialogue that is directly from the book I have italicized. The first part contains quite a bit of dialogue from the book, but the second part is entirely original. -DKC_

**Maine**

Jane arrived at the Ackerman house and knew by the grim looks she was getting from other cops that what was ahead of her would be both haunting and infuriating.

Maura spoke quietly, clinically. Her peach blouse was far too cheerful for such a depressing scene and it was causing the anger to rise in Jane. This was something new, something she hadn't adjusted to in the last month or so—her anger being directed at Maura for even the most trivial of things.

"_The bullet penetrated the girl's occipital bone, but didn't exit. The angle is consistent with a shooter who was taller and firing from behind the victim."_

"_She was moving," said Jane softly. "Trying to run away."_

"_Judging by her position here, it appears she was fleeing toward one of these bedrooms on the third floor when she was shot."_

"_In the back of the head."_

"_Yes."_

"_Who the fuck does something like that? Kills a baby?"_

Jane's anger was bubbling up and she found herself clinching her fists to keep herself from an outburst at the crime scene. Maura's calm, detached manner was beginning to piss Jane off.

_Maura replaced the sheet and stood up. "She may have witnessed something downstairs. Seen the killer's face. That would be motive."_

"_Don't go all logical on me. Whoever did this walked into the house prepared to kill a kid. To wipe out a whole family."_

"_I can't speak to motive."_

"_Just the manner of death."_

"_Which would be homicide."_

"_You think?"_

_Maura frowned at her. "Why are you angry with me?"_

"_Why doesn't this seem to bother you?"_

"_You think this doesn't bother me? You think I can look at this child and not feel what you're feeling?"_

The two women stood staring at one another, trying to not look at the body on the floor between them, the small, fragile body. There was a crater between them lately. Maura had testified against a Boston cop, sending him to prison. Jane felt betrayed. The entire force felt betrayed. But Jane was determined to fix what was lost. This was her best friend. Forgiveness would come eventually. It had to.

"_It's just…" Jane sighed. "I hate when it's kids. It makes me want to strangle someone."_

"_That makes two of us." Though the words were said quietly, Jane saw the glint of steel in Maura's eyes. Yes, the rage was there, but better masked and under tight control, the way Maura strove to control almost everything else in her life._

Jane wandered away, leaving Maura to do a job she did not envy, especially on days like this one.

"Jane! Wait a second," Maura said as she caught up to Jane at the bottom of the stairs.

"Come here," Maura said as she directed Jane toward the small den off the foyer. Still in booties and gloves, the two could not contaminate the crime scene by entering another room.

"What is it?" Jane said sharply.

"I know this case is too much," Maura said as she grabbed Jane's wrist gently and held on.

"Too much? Too much doesn't do it justice," Jane said as the rage filled her eyes. "Fuck, Maura. Those poor babies, they didn't even…"

Before Jane could even finish her thought, Maura's arms were wrapped around Jane. Jane sighed, the anger briefly leaving her.

"Maura?" Jane questioned, not expecting an answer.

"I know…I know," Maura whispered as she turned her face into Jane's neck. The small vibration of Maura's words on her neck giving Jane chills.

"I have to go," Jane said as she broke off the hug.

Jane and Maura looked at each other for what felt like an eternity, so many questions behind both of their eyes. Would they ever be what they once were or would Jane continue to blame Maura for her honesty?

"Can we talk later?" Jane asked, her voice softer and quieter than a moment before.

"I'm leaving for Maine," Maura said.

"Oh, yeah. Tell Julian hello for me," Jane said as she started walking out the double doors into the foyer.

"I will," Maura whispered to the empty room as she watched Jane walk into the foyer and out the front door.

Jane found herself relieved to breathe fresh air as she went outside. She felt relief as she put distance between she and Maura. Jane hated feeling this way about Maura. She hated not having with Maura what she once had. She hated that she couldn't fix this.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"_This is a creepy school with creepy kids," said Jane. "Every single one of them is peculiar."_

_They sat in Maura's room, their chairs pulled close to the hearth, where a fire was burning. Outside, rain lashed the windows and wind rattled the glass. Although she'd changed into dry clothes, the dampness had penetrated so deeply into Jane's bones that even the heat of the flames failed to warm her. She pulled her sweater tighter and looked up at the oil painting that hung above the mantelpiece. It was a gentleman hunter, rifle propped over his shoulder as he posed proudly beside a fallen stag. Men and their trophies._

Sitting with Maura in Maine didn't feel that far removed from Boston. What felt removed was Maura herself. When did these two women become so distant?

"_The word I would use," said Maura, "is haunted."_

"_The children, you mean?"_

"_Yes. They're haunted by crime. By violence. No wonder they strike you as odd."_

"_You put a bunch of kids like that together, kids who have serious emotional issues, and all it does is reinforce their weirdness."_

"_Maybe," said Maura. "But it's also the one place where they find acceptance. With people who understand them."_

_This was not what Jane expected her to say. The Maura she saw now, sitting by the fire, seemed like a different woman. The wind and the humidity had transformed her usually sculpted [blonde] hair into a tangled thatch. Her plaid flannel shirt was untucked, and the cuffs of her blue jeans were stained with mud. Only a few days in Maine, and she'd transformed into someone Jane did not quite recognize._

The two women spoke about Julian and whether Evensong was the best place for him. The relationship Maura had so quickly developed with the young man is one Jane respected her friend immensely for. Jane couldn't help but point out the strangeness of all of the kids, including Julian, at Evensong.

"_Because here they're all oddballs."_

_Maura smiled at the fire. "Maybe that's why Julian and I bonded. Because I am, too."_

"_But in a good way," Jane quickly added._

"_Which way would that be?"_

"_Brilliant. Determined. Reliable."_

"_I'm starting to sound like a German shepherd."_

"_And honest," Jane paused. "Even when it means losing friends because of it."_

_Maura stared into her teacup. "I'm going to pay for that sin forever. Aren't I?"_

_For a moment they didn't speak; the only sound was the rain hitting the window and the hiss of the fire. Jane could not remember the last time they had sat together and quietly talked, just the two of them. Her bag was already packed and she was expected back in Boston tonight, but Jane made no move to leave. Instead she remained in the armchair, because she did not know when they would have this chance again. Life was too often a series of interruptions. Phone calls, family crises, other people always interrupting, whether it was in the morgue or at a crime scene. On this gray afternoon there were no ringing phones, no one knocking on the door, yet silence hung between them, heavy with all that had been left unsaid these past weeks, ever since Maura's testimony had sent a cop to prison. Boston's finest did not easily forgive such acts of treason._

_Now, at every crime scene, Maura was forced to walk a gauntlet of chilly silence and hostile stares, and the strain was apparent in her face. In the firelight, her eyes seemed hollow, her cheeks thinner._

"_Graff was guilty." Maura's fingers tightened around the teacup. "I would testify to that again."_

"_Of course you would. That's what you do, you tell the truth."_

"_You make it sound like a bad habit. A tic."_

"_No, it takes courage to tell the truth. I should have been a better friend."_

"_I wasn't sure if we were friends anymore. Or if I'm capable of holding on to any friends." Maura stared at the fire, as if all the answers could be found in those flames. "Maybe I should just stay here. Become a hermit and live in the woods. It's so beautiful. I could spend the rest of my life in Maine."_

"_Your life's in Boston."_

Maura talked about Boston not embracing her and how she hadn't been approachable to those she'd met in Boston, including Jane. Maura talked about San Francisco and how she never should have left. As Maura talked about leaving Boston, all Jane could think about is how much she would miss her, how lost she would be without her best friend nearby.

"_You have friends in Boston now. You have me."_

_A smile twitched up in the corner of Maura's mouth. "You, I would miss."_

There was a slight pause as Maura said she'd miss Jane. Both women seemed lost in their own thoughts, neither looking at the other.

Maura broke the silence by talking about her relationship with Father Brophy and how much they'd both suffered because of it. This, more than anything, would drive Maura away from Boston. It had been painful for Jane to sit by as Maura fell for Brophy and then had her heart shattered. Jane had seen it on her face every day. Jane had watched Maura's struggle from afar with no idea how to help her. How do you get over someone you never really had? Maura started talking about San Francisco again and how returning would get her away from Daniel.

"_You'd be two thousand miles away from him, but you'd also be two thousand miles from every tie you've built over the last few years. Your home, your colleagues. Your friends."_

"_Friend. As in singular."_

Maura looked at Jane and her eyes reflected loneliness and fear. Jane did her best to shield the loneliness and fear in her own eyes and then quickly changed the subject. Prying about Anthony Sansone was the only way she could take her mind off of the possibility of Maura leaving, but also the possibilities between them. The many ways Jane could personally wash away Maura's fear and sadness, the way she would like to cure her loneliness.

"_Jane, please. Don't try to talk me into another bad affair."_

"_I'm trying to talk you into not leaving Boston."_

"_Because Anthony's such a good catch?"_

"_No, because Boston needs you. Because you're the smartest ME I've ever worked with. And because…" Jane sighed. "I'd friggin' miss you, Maura."_

_The last remnants of the birch log collapsed, sending up a puff of glowing ashes. That, and the steady patter of rain, were the only sounds in the room. Maura sat very still, so still that Jane wondered whether Maura had registered what she'd just said. Whether it made any difference at all to her. Then Maura looked at her, eyes bright with tears, and Jane knew that her words might make all the difference in the world._

"_I'll take that under consideration," Maura said._

The silence washed over them. Both staring into the ashes, both considering what their lives would be like if Maura left Boston.

"Maura?" Jane whispered after an indeterminate amount of silence.

Maura's teary eyes met Jane's and the dreaded possibility of Maura leaving Boston hit Jane suddenly. She sat at the edge of the chair, turning her legs so that they were brushing Maura's knees and wrapping her hands around Maura's right hand.

"Please, Maura," Jane pleaded. Her eyes remained on her hands around Maura's, not daring look into Maura's hazel eyes.

"Jane…" Maura said as she moved forward in her chair and used her left hand to tilt Jane's chin up.

"Please what?" Maura asked as their eyes made contact.

"I…" Jane started, her voice cracking. "I don't want you to go."

"Oh, Jane. I have no idea what I will decide," she said as she dropped her hand from Jane's chin and placed it on Jane's thigh.

"You don't understand," Jane responded, the seriousness evident in her eyes.

"What don't I understand?"

"You…" her voice lowered to that sultry place that few ever heard. "You are my everything, Maur."

Jane let out a burst of air and Maura sat stunned by the revelation. These two women had been inseparable in recent years. Their unlikely friendship became a bond greater than that of any other in their lives. The bond they shared had been shaken lately, bringing with it the recognition of just how much they meant to each other.

"I would tell the truth again," Maura said, repeating what she had said earlier about the cop case, "only if I knew that you and I would be okay in the end."

"I miss you," Jane admitted, her eyes locking on Maura's, a spark flying between them.

Before Maura could say anything, Jane took her top hand off of Maura's and placed it on the side of Maura's face. She used her thumb to brush against Maura's perfect skin. The only thought going through Jane's mind was 'this is more, this is more.'

"Jane…" Maura choked out, whatever she was going to say stalled by Jane's lips barely meeting her own.

Not dropping her hand from the side of Maura's face, but pulling back slightly, Jane kept her eyes on Maura's. Whether Jane was looking for it or not, there was a staggering amount of love reflected in Maura's eyes. Love and even a bit of lust looked back at Jane. Before Jane could process what she found in Maura's eyes, forceful lips were on her own.

"Umph," Jane muttered as Maura pressed her lips into Jane's.

Maura placed her hand on the back of Jane's neck and pulled her friend in. She sucked on Jane's lower lip and was rewarded by a slight moan. Jane's hand slid from the side of Maura's face into her hair and her other hand slid up Maura's arm from her hand to her bicep. As her hand reached Maura's bicep, Maura's tongue begged for entrance and was welcomed past Jane's teeth. A battle ensued between their tongues until they both needed to breathe.

"Oh," Maura gasped as she broke from the kiss and took a breath.

"What are we…Jesus," Jane said as she stood up from her chair and placed both her hands behind her head.

"Not quite what I was expecting," Maura said, somewhat hurt by Jane's reaction.

"Sorry, Maur. I just…wow," Jane said, a smirk breaking out across her face as she turned back toward Maura.

Maura stood up and walked toward Jane, wrapping her arms around her friend's waist.

"Wow is good, right?" Maura mumbled as she pressed her face into Jane's chest.

"Yes…" Jane started, her arms wrapping around Maura, "I'm just, huh."

"Huh, that's productive," the shorter woman said, a slight chuckle escaping.

Jane pulled back, her arms still around Maura. As the two women locked eyes, it was obvious to both of them that the undercurrent in their friendship could no longer be denied. The light brushes of hands, the banter that bordered on flirtation and the lingering looks that spoke volumes to each other—there was no denying where all of this stemmed. There was an attraction between these women, unspoken as it was, that could no longer be denied as they stood before that fireplace looking into one another's eyes.

"Please, Maura," Jane whispered.

"Please what?" Maura responded, a smirk coming over her at the memory of the same exchange just seconds earlier before they kissed.

"Don't go. Stay with me. Stay..." Jane paused, her breath hitching as tears began to stream down her face. "…for me."

Maura's hands reached up to cup her friend's face. Jane's tears were met with tears from Maura as the ME reached up and placed her lips to Jane's. The kiss was gentle. Yet in that gentle kiss, promises were made; a promise that the doctor wouldn't leave or at least if she did leave Boston, she would take Jane with her. A promise was being made that whatever happened outside those doors, they would face it together. As Maura deepened the kiss, a promise was being made that their friendship had a future and yes, their relationship had a future.

"Hmmm," Jane breathed as their lips broke.

"Please, Jane," Maura said breathlessly.

"Please what, Maur?"

"Don't go home to Boston tonight," she asked, her eyes locked on Jane's.

"A night in Maine? Now how could I resist that?" the detective responded, a grin washing over her face as she pulled her best friend tight to her.

_-Finis-_


End file.
